Work, Family, and Dropping Out Among Adolescents in Thailand



Author Information

Pisit Poosanga, Khon Kaen University, Thailand
Tanyamat SrungBoonmee, Khon Kaen University, Thailand

Abstract

Education is key to developing human capital and a country’s growth. Dropping out of school is a serious problem, affecting both the economy and the individual’s quality of life. Even though there are many policies and programs to make education easier to access, financial constraints and family issues still create major barriers. Single parenthood is a potentially important factor affecting dropout among adolescents. Time and financial constraints may limit single parents’ ability to support their child education. In addition, children of single parents may face emotional and psychological challenges affecting their studies. Moreover, the trend of single parenthood in Thailand has been continuously increasing in recent years. This study explores factors affecting the dropout rate among Thai youth aged 15-19. Using data from Labor Force Survey Thailand 3rd quarter 2022, this study uses the OLS model and Probit to examine the relationship between single parenthood and children’s school enrollment. The findings show that single mothers do not have a significant impact on the dropout rate, whereas single fathers are associated with a higher dropout rate after controlling for family income, work status in adolescents, and a host of potentially relevant demographic factors. Finding that children from single-father families have higher school dropout rates than those from single-mother or two-parent families. Policies should focus on addressing root causes, such as inconsistent parental involvement and financial difficulties, with interventions like learning centers for single fathers and tax deductions for education expenses. Further research to understand single parenthood and its impact on education.


Paper Information

Conference: ACEID2025
Stream: Primary & Secondary Education

This paper is part of the ACEID2025 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Poosanga P., & SrungBoonmee T. (2025) Work, Family, and Dropping Out Among Adolescents in Thailand ISSN: 2189-101X – The Asian Conference on Education & International Development 2025 Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 911-931) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2189-101X.2025.74
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2189-101X.2025.74


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Posted by James Alexander Gordon